Made for permanent outdoor use. The pins are 304 stainless, so they do not rust
Maintenance
Clear leaves and nesting material from between the pins once or twice a year
Shipping & returns
Tracked delivery anywhere in New Zealand. Free on orders of $75 or more; below that the only method offered is Express Delivery at $25, which is also available above the threshold as a paid upgrade. Allow 5 to 7 days, after a 24 to 48 hour handling time.
We give you 14 days from delivery to change your mind on an unused item. That is our own policy, not a New Zealand statutory right, because there is no statutory cooling-off period for an online purchase here. Send it back unused and in resaleable condition and we refund what you paid for it. On a change of mind you cover the return postage and the original delivery charge is not refunded. If the item is faulty.
If it arrives faulty, damaged or not as described, we put it right at no cost to you under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993, return postage included. That is a statutory right and nothing on this page limits it.
Any small bird run collects nesting material quickly. Clear it out annually, because packed debris becomes exactly the flat surface the strip was fitted to remove.
An Honest PageNZ wrens are protected natives
The Strip Is RealThe same 304 stainless product
For Narrow LedgesWhere small birds have nowhere to stand
Netting Is Often BetterFor small birds and for cavities
About this product
Read this before you order.
New Zealand's wrens are protected native birds and are not a building pest. This page keeps the search, tells you what the strip actually is, and points you at what you probably need.
This page is here because people search for it, and we would rather answer honestly than sell into a wrong premise.
New Zealand's wrens are the rifleman, titipounamu, and the rock wren, pīwauwau. Both are native, both are absolutely protected under the Wildlife Act 1953, and neither is a bird that causes a problem on a building. The rifleman lives in forest and the rock wren lives above the bush line.
The product on this page is the standard 304 stainless strip on a clear polycarbonate base, 500 mm long, sold per 50 cm. It is a genuine product and it does a genuine job. It is simply not a wren product.
Fitting is a clean, dry surface and a good exterior sealant, or screws where there is something to screw into. Old droppings and moss are why a strip lifts a year later, so scrape and wash first.
Measure the whole run, divide by 50 cm and round up. A bare half metre at the end of a ledge is exactly where the birds will go.
If you have small birds on a ledge in a New Zealand town, the bird is almost certainly a house sparrow, a starling or a silvereye. Sparrows and starlings are introduced and are not protected. The silvereye, tauhou, is native and is protected, and it is worth identifying which you have before doing anything.
For introduced small birds, the honest advice is the same as on our sparrow page: close the cavity first, net the space second, and spike only the narrow surfaces where the pins fill the available width. A small bird on a wide ledge will settle between spike pins rather than leave, and we would rather you knew that before spending the money.
If the bird you are dealing with is a native, the answer is not a product at all. Protection under the Wildlife Act 1953 covers the bird, the nest and the eggs, so the lawful route is to make a surface unattractive before it is in use, not to disturb anything already there.
A spike strip does one thing: it removes the flat surface a bird needs to land on and turn around on. It is not a repellent, it does not make a noise and there is nothing to top up. That is why it keeps working long after a decoy or a gel has stopped.
It also means placement decides the result. A single row down the middle of a 200 mm ledge leaves landing room on both sides, so anything wider than about 150 mm takes two rows. Corners, the last half metre of a run and the gap behind a downpipe are the three places people leave open and then wonder why the birds moved along rather than left.
On what these strips will not do: they are a surface treatment. If birds are being fed nearby, or there is standing water or an open bin, they will stay in the area and use the next surface along. Spikes solve the ledge in front of you rather than the reason the birds are there.
Still deciding?
Not sure yet? That is fine.
You can change your mind. We give you 14 days from delivery on any unused item. That is our own policy rather than a New Zealand statutory right, because there is no statutory cooling-off period for an online purchase here, and we would rather say so than imply a right you do not have. Send it back unused and in resaleable condition and we refund what you paid for it; on a change of mind you cover the return postage.
If it turns up faulty, damaged or not as described, that is on us. The Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 gives you a repair, a replacement or your money back, we pay the return postage, and nothing on this page limits that. Read the detail on our refunds and returns page, or ask us anything before you order.
Yes. The rifleman, titipounamu, and the rock wren, pīwauwau, are native birds and are absolutely protected under the Wildlife Act 1953, along with their nests and eggs.
So will these spikes deter a wren?
That is the wrong question to be asking, and we would rather say so. A New Zealand wren is a forest or alpine bird and it is not what is sitting on your building.
What bird do I probably have then?
In a town, almost certainly a house sparrow or a starling, both introduced and unprotected, or a silvereye, which is native and protected.
How do I tell a silvereye from a sparrow?
A silvereye is small, olive green above with a very obvious white ring around the eye. A house sparrow is brown and grey and much chunkier. If in doubt, leave it alone.
What should I use for sparrows?
Close the cavity if they are nesting in one, net the area if it is a space, and use spikes only on narrow ledges. Our sparrow page goes through it properly.
Why do you still sell this page?
Because people search for it, and an honest answer is more useful than a dead link. The strip itself is our standard product and you can buy it here if it is what you need.
What is the product on this page?
The standard 304 stainless spike strip on a clear polycarbonate base, 500 mm long with 115 mm pins, sold per 50 cm strip.
Will it work on small birds at all?
On a narrow surface where the 70 mm of pin coverage fills the available width, yes. On a wide ledge a small bird will settle between the pins.
What counts as a narrow surface?
A slim sill, a pipe run, the top edge of a sign, a slender beam. Anything where there is nowhere left to put a foot.
What if the birds are getting into a gap?
Then no surface product helps. Close the gap once the nest is finished with, or net the area.
Can I disturb a nest?
Not if the bird is protected. Interfering with an active nest of a native species is an offence under the Wildlife Act 1953.
What if I am not sure whether the bird is native?
Assume it is and leave it. Waiting until the nest is finished with costs you a season and costs nothing else.
When is the nesting season here?
Broadly spring into summer, and several introduced species raise more than one brood, so it runs later than people expect.
Do the spikes hurt birds?
No. The pins are blunt at the tip. A bird finds nowhere to stand and leaves.
Are they safe around pets?
Yes. They are a discomfort rather than a hazard.
What is the strip made of?
304 stainless steel pins on a clear polycarbonate base.
How is it sold?
Per 50 cm strip with no minimum order.
How many strips per metre?
Two, and round up rather than leaving a bare end.
Can I cut them?
Yes, with a hacksaw through the polycarbonate base.
What fixing should I use?
UV stabilised silicone adhesive on a clean, dry surface, or screws where there is something to screw into.
Will they rust?
The pins are 304 stainless and will not.
Are they visible?
The base is clear and the pins are thin, so at height they are not obvious.
Do they need maintenance?
Clear debris from between the pins once a year, more often on a small bird run.
What else do you sell for small birds?
Netting in two sizes, and the gel for narrow mouldings where a strip will not sit.
Is there a bird I should never try to deter?
Any protected native. If a kererū, a tūī or a silvereye is using a tree or a ledge on your property, that is not a pest problem and the law treats it accordingly.
Do you install anything?
No, we supply only.
Is there anything I need to know about New Zealand law?
Yes, and it is worth reading before you fit anything. Native birds are absolutely protected under the Wildlife Act 1953, and that protection covers the nest and the eggs as well as the bird. Deterring a bird from a surface is lawful. Damaging an active nest is not. Fit outside the nesting season.
How much is delivery?
Free on orders over $75. Below that the only method offered is Express Delivery at $25, and there is no minimum order. Express is also available above $75 as a paid upgrade.
Can I return it if I ordered the wrong number of strips?
Yes. We give you 14 days from delivery to change your mind on any unused item. That is our own policy rather than a New Zealand statutory right, and it sits on top of your Consumer Guarantees Act rights, which are not affected.
Who do I ask if my question is not answered here?
Email theteam@birdspikes.co.nz. Tell us the bird, the surface and roughly how long the run is, and we can usually answer in one reply.
The complete guide
Which small bird you actually have
4 min readBird Spikes Company
The short version
New Zealand's wrens are the rifleman, titipounamu, and the rock wren, pīwauwau. Both are native, both are absolutely protected under the Wildlife Act 1953, and neither is a bird that causes trouble on a building. The rifleman lives in forest and the rock wren lives above the bush line.
If something small is sitting on your sill, it is not one of them.
What it probably is
In a New Zealand town, a small bird on a ledge is most likely a house sparrow or a starling. Both are introduced and neither is protected. It might also be a silvereye, tauhou, which is native, protected, and easy to recognise: olive green above with a very obvious white ring around the eye.
Learning that difference takes thirty seconds and decides what you are allowed to do.
If it is introduced
The order of preference is the same as on our sparrow page. Close the cavity if they are nesting in one. Net the space if it is a space. Spike only the narrow surfaces where the pin coverage fills the available width, because a small bird settles between pins on a wide ledge rather than leaving.
If it is native
Then it is not a pest problem, and the law treats it that way. Protection covers the bird, the nest and the eggs. The lawful route is to make a surface unattractive before it is in use rather than to disturb anything already there, and in practice most people find they would rather leave it.
About this page
We keep it because the search exists and a dead link helps nobody. The product on it is our standard stainless strip and it is a genuinely good product for the job it is actually for. It is simply not a wren product, and we would rather tell you that here than take the order and let you find out.
Tell us the bird, the surface and roughly how long the run is, and we will tell you what suits it before you buy. Free delivery across New Zealand on orders over $75.
Wren Spikes page at birdspikes.co.nz, published by Bird Spikes Company as an HONEST
correction rather than a pitch. New Zealand's wrens are the rifleman (titipounamu) and the rock
wren (piwauwau). Both are NATIVE and absolutely PROTECTED under the Wildlife Act 1953, and neither
is a building pest: the rifleman is a forest bird and the rock wren lives above the bush line. The
product on the page is the store's standard 304 stainless spike strip, 500 mm long, 115 mm pins,
70 mm protected width, NZD 12 per 50 cm strip - a real product doing a real job, but not a wren
product. A small bird on a ledge in a New Zealand town is most likely a house sparrow or a
starling (both introduced and unprotected) or a silvereye/tauhou (native and protected). The
store's stated advice for introduced small birds is: close the cavity first, net the space second,
spike only narrow surfaces where the pin coverage fills the width, because a small bird settles
BETWEEN pins on a wide ledge. For a native bird the answer is not a product: protection covers the
bird, the nest and the eggs. No effectiveness percentage, service life or warranty is claimed.
Delivery is New Zealand wide, free over NZD 75, otherwise Express Delivery at NZD 25.
